Former J&K MLA Engineer Rashid sent to judicial custody

 A special NIA court on Wednesday sent former Jammu and Kashmir lawmaker Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid to 14 days judicial custody in a terror funding case involving 26/11 mastermind and proscribed terrorist Hafiz Saeed.

Rashid was produced before District and Sessions Judge Yashwant Kumar as Special NIA Judge Rakesh Syal, who is hearing the case, was on leave.

The NIA had earlier told the court that the politician, who was arrested earlier this month, had received funds from Saeed.

Rashid's name came into picture during the interrogation of businessman Zahoor Ahmad Watali. He is accused of taking money from Watali.

Several separatist leaders, including Shabbir Shah, Masrat Alam and Asiya Andrabi, are also in judicial custody in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case filed by the NIA two years ago. The agency said that terror outfits active in Pakistan like the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen, along with ISI, had provided funds to separatist leaders to foment trouble in the valley.

The charge sheet in the matter was filed in January last year. IANS